Sewing machine



C. 5. BEST SEWING MACHINE May 20, 1947.

Filed May 21, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

awe d 66 t May 20, 1947. c. 5. BEST 2,420,695

I SEWING MACHINE Fi led'May 21, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 20, 1947 U 'NlTE D STATES ENT OFF [C E' SEWING MACHINE Glarence S. Best, Belvidere, Illt, assignor to National :Sewing Machine Company; Belvidere;

111., a corporation ofi Illinois.

Application May 21, 1945', Serial No; 594,805

12 Claims. 1.v

This' invention relates to improvements insewing machines and particularlyto improvements in the hook; bobbincase holder andbobbin case, referred to herein as the hook and bobbin case holder assembly.

O'ne of'the objects ofthe invention' is to design the several partsof 'the hook, bobbin case holder and' bobbin case so as to simplify the manufacturing processes as well as the assembly ofthe parts, andtotherebyfacilitate repairs whenrequired. The hook andbobbin case holder of my invention compriseonly three parts-held together by two screws, whereas it has been customary heretofore-tense a shim in addition to the-aforementionedminiinum'number oiparts and to assemble themechanism by at least four screws.

Another object of'the invention is to provide a bobbin-case which can be handled by the-operator without danger of dropping the spool from the case; which can be positioned in theholder and removedtherefrom without injury to the fingersorfi'nger nails of the operator; and which is easily accessibleto the operator and can be correctly positioned for use by feeling WithOLll) the need for careful' serutinyof the mechanism by the operator. These objects are attainedby the provision in the bobbin case ofa-specially designed lever, pivotallyconnected to the case, which also serves asa convenient means for handling the bobbin case 'whenthe lever is in open position, at which time it engagesthe spool and holds it against removal from the bobbin case. The pivoted lever also serves to guide the bobbin case to proper positionin-itsholder, and when lockeditholds the bobbin case in operative posi tion' in' theholder.

Inthe drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational-view of a'conventional sewing machine head embodying my-invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view'of a'p'ortion-of the bed plate, with the. hook cover in composition, disclosing the hook, bobbin case holder andbobbin case in operative position beneaththe feed dog in the'bed plate;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view through the sewing endof the'bed plate, with the hook, holder and bobbin casein elevation, show ingzthe fingers-of an operator in the act of removing. the-bobbin case from the holder.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal, vertical'sectional View of' the'hook andholder complete, taken in the plane'of the. line 4'=4 of Fig; 2, but showing the bobbinxcase removed from the holder:

Fig; 5 1s a front elevational View of the bobbin case:

2 Fig; 6 1s areal elevational View of the same.

Fig; Tisavertical sectional'viewtakenin the plane-ofthe line "l"l of Fig. 5

Fig; 8 isan -elevational view showing the several parts constituting the'hook; bobbin case holder and bobbin case; detached.

Inthaternbodin'ient of my invention shown in.

the drawings,- lil' indicates the bed plate, H the uprightstandard, l2-the overhanging arm, I3 the sewinghead, I4-the=presser foot and'l5 the feed dog of a conventional sewing machine.

The hook, bobbin case holder and bobbin case assembly,- enibodying-my invention in preferred form; indicated as a whole at iii in Fig, l, are located beneath the bed plate lliand presser foot W; The separate parts of the mechanism, best shown detached in Fig. 8, include the hook shaft Fl on which'ismounted the hollow shank 18 of the hook member H3; The cup shaped bobbin case holder 2B is provided witha circumferential flange *2 adapted to seat on the annular shoulder EKof-thehook I A stud 23 projects centrally from the 'baseofth'e cupgsl'iaped holder 2% and is of greater'length than the depth of the holder. Ahhger 24* projects radially from the holder 23.

After the holderhas been positioned in the hook 7 l9, a hookcover consisting of "a cylindrical portion 25 and inturned flange 26 is placed over the holder Zll-andhook l-9*and'secured to the latter by two The assembled'hook and holder are shownin section in Fig. 4.

The b obbincase comprises a cylindrical member"- wand-slotted face 2s. The case is open on thatface opposite. the face 29. The face Elihas firmed on its'inner surface. an inwardly directed hollow spindle 30 adapted to fit over the-stud 23 of the holdenzll. The annular space within the b'obbin'case, between the cylindrical member 28 and'spindle- 38, contains the thread spool 3!. The

cylindricalpart28 isslbtted'atfil." The face 29" is slottecl'atZ-W to receive a levers-3- which is pivotally mounted on the body portion of-the bobbin caseas indicated attM; Said lever 33 1s provided between its ends witlran' aperture 35 adapted'to register'withandiitover. the stud 23 of the bobbin case holder 25] when the parts are assembled in operativev position. The upper endoof the lever is bored longitudinally to receive a: ball detent 35 against. which presses? the" spring 31 retained in the :borenby, the screw 35. The-:opening'in the wall of-theaperture Etiof the lever 53 communicateswiththe bore initsaidlever and is slightly lessiin"diameterthanzthe: diameter of the rietent 35; whieh preventsthe detent from falling out of th'eibore; The detent iifi partially enters the aper- 3 ture and bears against the grooved portion of the stud 23 as shown in Fig. 7, when the lever 33 is in locked position. In that position, the lower end of the lever 33 engages a notch 49 in the holder 20 as will be understood by reference to Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

A thread tension device 4| is provided in the bobbin case. 42 indicates a spring and 3 a slot to guide the thread.

The hook i9, bobbin case holder 20 and cover 25, having been assembled as shown in Fig. 4, are mounted on the hook shaft I l to rotate therewith, as shown in Fig. 3. The thread spool 3! is placed in the bobbin case through its open face while the lever 33 is in the position indicated in Fig. 8, so that the shoulder 44 (see Fig. 4) of the lever 33 will not interfere With the placing of the spool. After the spool 3| has been placed in the bobbin case, the lever 33 is conveniently pivoted away from the face 29 of the case, as shown in Fig. 4, in which position the shoulder M engages the flange of the spool 3| and retains it in the case so that the spool cannot fall from the case While it is being handled and placed in the holder 20 with the aid of the lever 33 as a handle. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the hook cover is swung out of the way to disclose the hook and bobbin case holder, and then the operator can place the bobbin case and its spool into proper position by registering the lever end 39 with the notch 40 in the holder 20 (see Fig. 4), and moving the pivoted lever 33 inwardly until it occupies the space provided by the slot in the face 29. Then the aperture 3-5 of the lever receives the stud 23 and the detent 36 engages the grooved end of the said stud, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 7.

It will be understood that while the hook I9 rotates with the shaft H, the holder and bobbin case are held stationary by means of the finger 24 on the holder 20 contacting a fixed part of the machine bed Ill, The notch 40 in the holder is located so that when the bobbin case is in operative position, the lever 33 will be vertically disposed, and the protruding end will be uppermost, in a position accessible to the operator for convenient use of the lever 33 as a handle for removing the bobbin case.

To remove the bobbin case and spool, the operator takes hold of the protruding end of the lever and moves it pivotally away from the bobbin case face 29, thus retaining the spool in the case by engagement of the lever shoulder as with the flange of the spool 3!, While using the lever as a handle for easy lifting of the bobbin case and spool out of the holder.

Preferably the upper end of the lever 33 is shaped as indicated at 46 so as to provide frictional engagement between the lever and the slottedface 29 of the bobbin case, and also to provide convenient holding means when the lever serves as a handle.

Changes may be made in details of construc. tion without departing from the scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a sewing machine, a hook and bobbin case holder assembly, consisting essentially of a cup shaped holder provided with a notch in its cylindrical portion, a rotatable hook adapted to receive the holder, a holder-retaining cover connected directly to the hook, a bobbin case removably positioned in the holder, and a spool in the bobbin case, said bobbin case having a lever pivotally mounted near one end in the body portion of the bobbin case, the free end of the lever protruding beyond the peripheral wall of the bobbin case, the opposite end of the lever being engageable in said notch of the holder to guide and position the bobbin case in the holder when the lever is in locked position abutting the face of the bobbin case.

2. The hook and bobbin case holder assembly defined by claim 1, in which the bobbin case lever is engageable with the spool of the bobbin case to prevent its removal from the bobbin case when the lever is in outwardly pivoted position relatively to the face of the case.

3. The hook and bobbin case holder assembly defined by claim 1, in which the bobbin case lever is vertically disposed when the bobbin case is in operative position in the holder, and its free protruding end is accessible above the peripheral wall of the bobbin case and provides a handle for removing the bobbin case from the holder.

4. The hook and bobbin case holder assembly, defined by claim 1, in which the bobbin case lever is engageable with the spool of the bobbin case to prevent its removal from the .bobbin case when the lever is in outwardly pivoted position relatively to the face of the case, and in which said bobbin case lever is vertically disposed when the bobbin case is in operative position in the holder, its free protruding end being accessible above the peripheral Wall of the bobbin case and, when outwardly pivoted, providing a handle for removing the bobbin case from the holder.

5. In a sewing machine, a hook and bobbin case holder assembly, comprising a cup shaped holder provided with a notch in its cylindrical portion and a stud projecting axially from its base, a rotatable hook adapted to receive the holder, a holder-retaining cover, a bobbin case removably positioned in the holder, and a spool in the bobbin case, said bobbin case having a lever pivotally mounted near one end in the body portion of the bobbin case, said lever being apertured between its ends and adapted to engage said stud in the holder, and having an inturned shoulder for engaging the notch in the holder when the parts are in operative position.

6. The hook and bobbin case holder assembly, defined by claim 5, in which the bobbin case lever is provided with a spring pressed detent adjacent to the aperture in the lever and adapted to frictionally engage the stud of the holder when said stud is engaged by the lever.

7. The hook and bobbin case holder assembly, defined by claim 5, in which the bobbin case lever is vertically disposed when the bobbin case is in operative position in the holder, and its free end protrudes and is accessible above the peripheral Wall of the bobbin case and provides a handle for removing the bobbin case from the holder.

8. The hook and bobbin case holder assembly, defined by claim 5, in which the shoulder on the bobbin case lever engages the spool of the bobbin case to prevent its removal from the bobbin case When the lever is in outwardly pivoted position relatively to the face of the case.

9. In a sewing machine, a, hook and bobbin case holder assembly, comprising a cup shaped holder provided with a notch in its cylindrical portion and a stud projecting axially from its base, a rotatable hook adapted to receive the holder, a holder-retaining cover, a bobbin case removably positioned in the holder, said bobbin case having a hollow stud extending axially from the inner side of its face, said face having a, slot across its outer side in communication with said hollow stud, a spool in the bobbin case, and a lever pivotally mounted in the body portion of the bobbin case for movement into and out of said slotted face, said lever being apertured between its ends to receive the stud of the holder, and having a shoulder near one end for engaging the notch in the holder when the parts are in operative position.

10. The hook and bobbin case holder assembly, defined by claim 9, in which the bobbin case lever is provided with a spring pressed detent adjacent to the aperture in th lever and adapted to frictionally engage the stud of the holder when said stud is engaged by the lever.

11. The hook and bobbin case holder assembly, defined by claim 9, in which the bobbin case lever is vertically disposed when the bobbin case is in operative position in the holder, and its free end protrudes and is accessible above the peripheral REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,863,077 Waterman June 14, 1932 2,198,170 Karle Apr. 23, 1940 

